Universal Grammar

1. 800 years ago Roger Bacon said, All languages are built upon a common grammar. 2. 13 century Speculative Grammarian said that there is a Core Grammar (Genetic Makeup) All types of language are originated from the single language. Children says noun first. 3. Modern Times a. Edward Sapic b. Richard Montague c. Noam Chomksey (1928-.) Linguist, Politician, Philosopher. Main Works i) Generative Grammar ii) Innate Theory iii) Mentalistic Approach iv) Universal Grammar became famous. Syntactic Structure 1957 Pisa Lectures 1979 LGB (Lectures on Government and binding 1981 Minimalist Program 1995

Principle (Similar) and Parameter (Different)

Principle:- all the languages cover same systems/ rules. E.g. Noun Phrase, Verb Phrase, Preposition Phrase. Parameter:- how languages are different from each other. English Head 1st language. Old man (NP) In the Moon (Preposition Phrase) Shot the Elephant (Verb Phrase) Japanese head Last language. Nihon Ni (Japan in)
Language

Principle

Parameter

Head

Complement

Head First

Head Last

Non Pro-drop Language

Pro-drop Language.

Universal Grammar

Universal Grammar is a black box responsible for language acquisition. It is a mechanism that allows the children to construct their own grammar out of the language material supplied by the portents. Language is a system of rules, Principles responsible for the language acquisition. Traditional Grammar= Parts of Speech + Syntax Universal Grammar = Principles (Rules) and Parameters UG is like Smiling, weeping, etc. 1. Structural Dependency. Language is organized in such a way that it crucially depends upon the structural relationship of the elements in the sentence instead of their linear sequence. e.g. Your cat is friendly. 1. Your 2.cat 3.is 4. Friendly. 3 is 1.your 2 cat 4 friendly? The cat who is friendly is ginger. Make its Interrogative. Not easy to make its interrogative. Phrase Structure (P.S):The child drew an elephant.
S

NP

VP

The

Child

NP

Drew

an

Elephant

REWRITE RULES S Consists of Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase VP consists of Verb + Noun Phrase. {NP The Child}.] 2. LANGUAGE FACULTY:Human mind has separate parts for language acquisition and it differs with the learning of other things. Left Ear Upper Portion = Brocas Area = Language Production. Left Ear Back Portion = Wernics area = Language comprehending

DISEASES. Aphasia = the loss of the ability to understand or produce speech, because of brain damage Dysphasia Dysarthria Dementia= a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, that affects the ability to think, remember and behave normally see also SENILEDEMENTIA Dysprosody (after World War II, this disease spread, like laughing at death, no sensibility of situations) Genotype:-the particular type and arrangement of genes that each organism has Phenotype:-the physical characteristics of something living, especially those characteristics which can be seen 3. PROJECTIONS PRINCIPLE